Understanding Pharmacy Stocktakes
Stocktakes in pharmacies involve counting and recording all medicines and products held in the pharmacy. This process ensures accurate records for inventory management and helps prevent shortages or overstocking.
Why Stocktakes Matter
Accurate stocktakes allow pharmacies to:
- Identify missing or expired stock
- Reduce waste
- Meet regulatory requirements
- Streamline reordering
How to Perform a Stocktake
Most pharmacies carry out stocktakes at least once a year. The steps include:
- Prepare by organising the pharmacy shelves and records
- Count each item and compare numbers to inventory records
- Note discrepancies and investigate the causes
- Update records to reflect the current stock
FMD Compliance in Pharmacies
The Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) is a regulation that helps prevent fake medicines from reaching patients. Pharmacies must scan certain medicines to confirm their authenticity and record them when dispensed.
What FMD Means for Pharmacies
Each pack of prescription medicine has a unique barcode. Pharmacies must use FMD-compliant scanners and software to verify this code before giving medicine to patients. They must also decommission the medicine from the national database after dispensing.
Maintaining FMD Compliance During Stocktakes
During a stocktake, pharmacists should:
- Check if all prescription medicines have correct barcodes
- Ensure the pharmacy’s scanning and software systems are up to date
- Report any packs with damaged or missing barcodes
Key Points
- Regular stocktakes help avoid errors and meet legal obligations
- FMD compliance requires scanning and recording each relevant medicine pack
- Both processes reduce risk and protect patient safety
